Electrically-heated waffle iron



Aug. Z8, 1923.

W. SICKINGER ELECTRICALLY HEATED wAFFLE'IRoN Filed July 21, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 28, i923.

W. SICKINGER ELECTRICALLY HEATED WAFFLE IRON Filed July l21, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v yl-"atentecl Aug. 28, 1923-o UNITED STATES WILLIAM SIGKINGER, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PATENT OFFICE.;v

ELECTBICALLY-HEATED `WAFFLE IRON.

Application led July 21, 1921. Serial No. 488,478.

. Wafie Irons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to waie irons in which a pair of complementary grids between which the batter is introduced to produce the waffle are backed up by electrical resistance adapted to heat the grids to cookin temperature.

he object of the invention is to improve the construction of a device of this kind in a manner to make it more effective and durable in use and cheap to produce, particularly in the element of labor required for assembling the parts'.

One feature of the invention consists in subdividing the housing of the utensil in a middle plane so as to rovide a pair of boxlike containers, intro ucing into these containers rst the heat insulating medium preferably with an electrically non-conduct ing and high refractory facing, then the electric resistances in flat sheet-like form, then a layer of electrically non-conducting but heat conducting and refractory cloth in direct contact with the electrical resistanoes, and then the grid in direct contact with said non-conducting cloth so as to receive the heat directly therefrom; the grid being fitted to the box-like half of the housing in a manner to completely lill the same and tightly confine the laminated structure built up of the parts enumerated as lying beneath it.

Another feature of the invention consists in the particular construction of hinges employed for connecting the two housing sections in a manner to not only permit them to swing to open and closed positions but to separate by bodily movement perpendicular to their dividing plane; the two sections of the utensil being provided with handles, one of which is particularly adapted for holding down the lower or base section, while the other is adapted tobe grip d in a manner to lift the other section bodily as distinguished from merely swinging its free side lpward upon its hin St` another feature o the invention resides in the construction of the connecting means for the resistances whereby fiat resistance elements introduced in unitn as coils `upon flat cores may be united in series without objectionably adding to the thick.- ness of the lamin of resistance elements.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of autensil embodying the several features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the base section with the greater portion of the grid removed to disclose the resistanceelements beneath it. u Flgure 3 is a vertical section in a plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

ligure 4 is a detail View of the hinge whlch permits bodily lifting of the upper section; and

Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views in planes at right angles to each other of the flat connector for the resistance elements.

1a and 1b represent two halves of the shell or h ousin and 2 represents hinges forv connectlng t e same. The hinges involve the peculiarlty of permitting vertical bodily movement of the upper housing by havin one ofthe plates 2*l thereof secured wit freedom of vertical motion by a keeper 2",'

the vertical motion being limited by an outturned flange 2.

Within the shells 1 and l" are located,

vfirst, one or more laminas of heat insulating and preferably non-combustible material 3, for instance sheets of asbestos, and upon these sheets are preferably laid a facing 4 o f mica or other material of high heat re: slstance; next is located a layer 5 of resistance elements which are preferably sub-` divided into a plurality of units, such as 5a, 5b, and 5, each consistin of a flat core 5d of refractory material, an a tape like resistance conductor 5e arranged in flat coyils thereon. Conductors 5 may be hitched through perforations in the core 5d as shown at 5f, and the units are connected in series by means of clips 6 which are made by cutting tongues 6"l in the metal sheet 6" and leaving the free ends of the conductors 5 alternately above and beneath said tongues, with the conductor ends to be connected overlapped so that theyl are pressed in firm Acontact 'one with the other. 3.

While the material of the connecting clips is preferabl of electrically conducting character, this 1s not essential if the ends are overlapped and held snugly one upon the other. y

The basesection l" is supported on hollow posts from a heat screenfwhich is in Aturn suspended by feet 9 above the table orother surface upon which the utensil yis intended to rest.

A handle 10 for holding down the base section and a grip handle l1 for manipulating the upper section are provided, and these handles are adapted not only to effect opening and closing movement upon the unit 2, but to bodily lift the upper section relatively to the lower section if desired.

ll claim:

l. An electrically heated cooking `utensil comprising a hon-like housing, an insulating lamina therein, a resistance lamina overlying said insulating lamina, and a cooking grid overlying and 1n close proximity to the resistance lamina; the grid fitting the housing snugly and holding in contact relation the laminas loc-ated beneath it.

2. lin an electrically heated cooking utensil, a box-like housing, an insulating lamina in said housing7 a resistance lamina lying upon said insulating lamina, an electric nonconducting but heat conducting refractory lamina overlying said resistance lamina, and a cooking grid snugly fitting the housing, lying upon the refractory laminae and holding all of said'lamina in compression.

3. lln an electric waffle iron, a pair of boxlike housings containing grids and lresistances in heating relation to said grids; said housings having a connecting `hinge comprising a plate through which the hinge is retenes connected to one of the housings, a keeper connected to said housings and overlying the plate while permitting it to slide vertically therein, and a limiting projection on the plate for engaging said keeper at the end of the sliding movement.

t, ln an electric cooking utensll, the combination of laminated insulating and heating elements, and a connectorA for two heating elements comprising a flat metal clip slotted to provide tongues relatively displacable above and below the plane of the clip, and dat metal terminals projecting from the heating elements and interwoven between said tongues.

5. ln an electric cooking utensil, the comhinatiuin of laminated insulating and heat--- ing elements, and a connector for two heating elements comprising a flat metal clip slotted to provide tongues relatively displaceable above and below the plane of the clip,

and Hat metal terminals projecting from the heating'l elements, interwoven between said tongues and lapped upon the other.

6. ln an electric cooking utensil, a cooking grid, a housing containing the same tothis 16th day' 

